Pedernales Falls State Park

TheFied

2,500+ Posts
I am already going camping with some friends at Inks Lake State Park in a few weeks... but I think that I am going with another group to Pedernales Falls State Park in June. Can you swim in there? Can you tube?

I have been to Pedernales (or as I called it when I was little Pretty Nalgas) but not since I was a kid....
 
swim yes, tube not really. Most times you can't swim near the falls, but you can about a mile or so down stream.

The river can have some good fishing. My sons (all UT grads now) went there a lot for fly fishing. That you have to get way down stream, but I've fished a couple of times and it is nice for that.

All in all this is/was our favorite park to camp at in hill country
 
Yeah, I wish I would have booked sooner. They only have primitive sites for the weekend we wanted. I think we are going to Guadalupe River State Park instead....
 
I'm with ya - did primitive (walk in) at Guadalupe SP this weekend, and it's the only way to go unless you are the RV type.
 
primitive is great as far as amenitiess go, but the lugging gear from the parking lot is a real downer. i backpacked quite a bit, but when i go camping i have a carload of gear, and like a campsite for that reason only. dont need water or electricity (well, water is nice), but the close parking is a helluva time and sweat saver

no good swimming at pedernales.
 
Honestly I don't mind the primitive camping but some of the guys that are going are city slickers and camping out of a tent (which is what we will be doing) is primitive enough. We got a water site only, no electric and that's fine b/c I have a propane cook stop and lantern...
 
primitive can have its downsides too

last year at enchanted rock we killed two rattlesnakes both over 6 feet long in our campsite. after sthe second one, we got the idea that this camping trip should come to a premature end and that fredricksburg brewing company might be a better venue for the afternoon
 
it was about this time of the year. it was my first camping trip of the year last year

i have pictures of them somewhere
 
The last 2 times my friends went out to ERock, they saw Rattlesnakes. I've never seen one though.

As far as Pedernales, the tubing isn't the main draw, and the park isn't all that big. When I was a kid, we would tube a 100 yards or so, then run back up and do it again. It's not lazy tubing.

The best camping there is in the "Youth Group" site, but that's only available to scouts, and other such groups.
 
I'm thinking about going to Pace Bend this Saturday. Didn't make a reservation or anything, so I assume I'll just get one of the primative camp sites. I just want to be able to grill, drink some beer, and do a little swimming with the wife and dog. I hear Pace Bend is good for that.
 
I went about 2 pm on Saturday and didn't have any trouble getting a primitive spot along the west side. It was a pretty good spot with lots of shade, a couple of picnic tables, fire ring, bbq grill, etc.

The only drawback was lake access. There was a nearby cove that we could get to by hiking down about 100 yds over some not-so-steep rock cliffs. The walk didn't bother me, but the cove wasn't really ideal for swimming because it was too deep to stand. We swam a little bit, but after seeing a couple snakes in the water, we decided enough of that.

Overall we had fun though. We were able to build a fire, grill some steaks, drink some beer, and let the dog roam around without a leash. No one was nearby, so I wasn't worried about the dog messing with anyone or getting us in trouble. Next time we'll probably try to get there earlier and get a spot along the east side, which looks a little more suitable for swimming.
 

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